Fragrance comparison

Arete vs Abjar

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 30 Oct 2026 149 ratings analysed

Arete

Gritti

4.2563 votes

Rank #13,087 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,326 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories.

Arete
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Arete3/7

Abjar4/7

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Abjar
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Arete
Versatility: Arete
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Arete

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

AreteGritti

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 63 votes

Have 29%Had 12%Want 60%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

33%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

63 votes

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value28

Category winnerAreteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

leather77%

whiskey69%

musky61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both woody, amber and leather

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top30 to 45 minutes

LabdanumCinnamonCardamomBergamot

Heart3 to 4 hours

LeatherWhiskey

Base7 to 10 hours

Guaiac WoodPatchouliStyraxSandalwoodVanillaAmbroxanHaitian VetiverMusk

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesLeather, Guaiac Wood, Styrax and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Arete, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer8

Fall100

Winter92

Day95

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAreteMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men69

Unisex25

Women6

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,087

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#25,326

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAreteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arete by Gritti is a warm, resinous leather fragrance that merges boozy depth with rich spices and woods. It opens with an immediate burst of aromatic cardamom, sharp bergamot, sweet cinnamon, and sticky labdanum. As the initial sharpness settles, a robust heart of worn leather and peaty whiskey takes over, giving the…

Reviews →

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Arete or Abjar?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories. Arete is rated 4.25/5 from 63 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Arete for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Arete or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Arete 81/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Arete or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Arete 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Arete and Abjar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and leather accords. Common notes include Leather, Guaiac Wood, Styrax and Sandalwood.

Is Arete or Abjar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Arete suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Arete and Abjar?

Arete has top notes of Labdanum, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Leather and Whiskey, a base of Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Styrax and Sandalwood. Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud).